Computer software applications allow users to create a variety of documents in work, education, and leisure. For example, word processing applications allow users to create letters, articles, books, memoranda, and the like. Spreadsheet programs allow users to store, manipulate, print, and display a variety of alpha-numeric data. Such applications have a number of well-known strengths, including rich editing, formatting and calculation. In recent years, use of such computer software applications has been expanded to include traditional desktop computers, laptop computers, and a variety of handheld electronic devices, including handheld personal computers, and personal digital assistants. Moreover, in recent years, a variety of data input methods have been created to include keyboard entry, voice recognition entry, and handwriting recognition entry. In a typical handwriting recognition entry system, a user is allowed to handwrite data directly onto the display screen of her computing device as a method of data entry.
Typical software application programs, as described above, present on the display screen of the user's computing device a workspace in which the user may input or manipulate data. Typically for spreadsheet applications, the workspace available to the user may appear as if it includes all space on the display screen of the user's computing device except for areas in which some object is located such as a graphical user interface object. However, in most word processing systems, the actual workspace available to the user is some reduced area displayed on the user's display screen as dictated by a preformatted page size. For example, if the user has a very large computer display screen, such as a 21-inch display screen, the user may think of all of the physically available area on the display screen as an area in which the user may input data. However, if the software application used by the user, for example a word processing application, has a preformatted page size of 8½ inches by 11 inches, once the user's text reaches a margin set by the software application for operation within the confines of that page size, the user's data will wrap to the next line. Therefore, the user's data input experience is confined to pre-determined space limitations based on preformatted page sizes.
In recent years, more and more software applications are being developed that allow users a free form data input experience. For example, with respect to the handwriting recognition systems, the user may touch a stylus to any location in the available workspace to enter data. Unfortunately, even with such free form methods of data input, the users confinement to a preformatted page size or workspace reduces the free form nature of the user experience. When users handwrite notes or draw images on a sheet of paper using a pen or pencil, users naturally use the entire sheet of paper and often write text or draw images without any particular document structure.
There is a need in the art for a method and system of automatically sizing computer-generated workspaces to allow a user to input data anywhere in the available workspace according to the size and shape of the user's display device. There is further a need for a method and system of automatically sizing workspaces to allow the workspace to grow in any direction to allow the user to input data to the right, left, above, or below existing data without regard to preformatted margins or page sizes.
It is respect to these noted considerations that the present invention has been made.